Bathtub bubbling device



y 1, 1962 L. G. BAUMANN 3,031,685

BATHTUB BUBBLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1//vI//vr0/2: .Lu di; G. Ba 20 mm AT TYS.

May '1, 1962 Filed Aug. 17, 1959 G. BAUMANN 3,031,685

BATHTUB BUBBLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ludwig G. Baummn ZWFgQJF/W3,031,685 BATHTUB BUBELING DEVI'CE Ludwig G. Baurnann, Konigstein(Taunus)-Schneidhain,

Germany, assignor to Interpatent A.G., Zurich, Switzerland, a firm FiledAug. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 834,161 Claims priority, application GermanyDec. 16, 1958 3 Claims. (ill. 4-180) This invention relates to a devicefor bubbling a gas, especially air, through the water in a bath with theaid of a vacuum cleaner, compressor, or like pump means, the gas or airbeing discharged into the water in the bath through fine openings inpipes arranged in or alongside box-shaped units which are immersed inthe bath.

Known bubbling devices of this kind which are im mersed in the water inorder to provide the beneficial and pleasant sensation the risingbubbles produce on the skin have been found to be inconvenient becausethey consist of one rigid unit which may not fit into baths of differentsizes and certainly not into a small-sized tub, such as for instance ahip bath.

It is the object of the invention to provide a bubbling device whichwill in efiect fit into baths of any shape or size and which can even beplaced for instance on the step-like bottom of a hip bath to produce abubble effect of variable and controllable intensity.

Substantially the object envisaged by the invention is attained byproviding a plurality of preferably detachable metal or non-metal units,articulated together in chain-like formation by rigid or flexible hingesin serial succession or relative juxtaposition, and equipped in theirinterior or along their sides with rigid or flexible pipes with rows or"fine holes facing upwards, said pipes being connectable with a commonsupply pipe for air, preferably through an air distributing means, whichreceives the necessary air from a compressor or vacuum cleaner,

This form of construction, on the one hand, permits the length of theassembly to be increased or curtailed without impairment of itsfunctional efficiency by adding or removing one or more units, and onthe other hand, it permits a person taking such a bath to adjust thestreams of bubbles so that they will impinge upon the parts of his bodyhe particularly desires to expose to their effect. Furthermore, thechain-like articulation of the several units permits the assembly toadapt itself to a bath with a bottom of irregular shape.

Other features of the invention will be understood as the followingdescription of preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawingsproceeds.

The drawings illustrate the invention in two forms of construction (inFIGS. 1 to 4 and FIGS. to 11 respectively):

FIG. 1 is a bath shown in longitudinal section, the proposed deviceconsisting of individual metal or nonmetal units articulated together inchain-like formation and formed with rigid bubble pipes, the assemblybeing placed on the bottom of a conventional bath;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assembly;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through the bubbling device, taken onthe line IIIIII in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section through a bubbling assembly, taken on theline IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bath shown in longitudinal sectional elevation with amodified form of a bubbling device on the bottom of the bath, theassembly consisting of juxtaposed parallel rows of articulated units inchain-like formation with flexible bubbling pipes connected with acommon air distributing header pipe;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 5;

' atent ice FIG. 7 is an air distributing header pipe shown inlongitudinal section;

FIG. 8 is a cross section through the bubbling device, taken on the lineVIIIVIII in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a cross section through a box-shaped unit formed with a groovefor the reception therein of a flexible bubble pipe;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section through a coupling for connecting thedistributing header pipe with the supply pipe from a vacuum cleaner, and

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal section through a controllable relief valvebetween the supply pipe and its junction with the distributing header.

With reference now to FIGS. 1 to 4 it will be seen that the bubblingdevice comprises a plurality of box'like units 11 articulated togetherin chain-like formation, said members being placed alongside each otherinto a bath 10. These box-like units 11 have an open bottom, whereas thetop is provided with holes 18 which facilitate gripping the units whenlowering them into the bath. Underneath the top of each unit 11 is acontinuous pipe 12 with bubble openings 17 which emerge at the top ofunit 11. Between adjacent units 11 are pipe couplings 13, one half ofeach coupling being integrally formed with one of the projecting ends ofeach pipe 12, in such manner that when the units are coupled together acontinuous bubble pipe will be formed extending through all the units 11in succession and supplied with air through a flexible air hose 14 and acontrol valve 15 from a compressor, vacuum cleaner, or like source ofair. Articulation of the several units 11 is effected by means offlexible or rigid hinges. In the illustrated example the hinges are ofpush-in type 16, one half of each hinge being aflixed to one of the twoadjacent units. These push-in type hinges 16 are coaxially aligned withthe couplings 13 in such manner that when the units 11 are level thecouplings 13 will form an air-tight joint for instance by engaging inthe manner of a bayonet coupling. With especial advantage the units 11may consist of a non-metallic material, such as a rigid plasticmaterial, each pipe 12, one half of hinges l6 and one half of couplings13 on each unit 11- forming an integral whole. The units 11 may alsotake the form of inflatable bags with tubes 12 incorporated therein, andvalves or the like for controlling the passage and distribution of airmay be provided on one of the coupling halves 13 between the severalunits 11.

In the second illustrated embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 11 the bubblingdevice (see H6. 6) consists of box-like units 11 formed with slots 31,said units being articulated together in chain-formation in paralleladjacent rows by means of hinges 32 similar to the hinges 16, flexibleair pipes 719 with fine air holes 36- being arranged longitudinallyalong the sides of said rows of units. These preferably plastic flexibleair pipes 29 may be inserted, as shown in FIG. 9, into troughs 42 formedin the units 11, said troughs being arranged to align in each row and toretain the pipes 29 by tightly embracing the same in such manner thatthe upper edge of the pipes will not project from the surface of therelative unit 11. These flexible bubble pipes may themselves formflexible hinges between adjacent units 11. At one end of a bubble matwhich is thus formed is a transverse air distributing header which maybe contrived to form a multiway valve and which, on the one hand, isconnected by a flexible pipe 14 with a vacuum cleaner 38 whereas, on theother hand, it is connected with adjacent rows of units and theirassociated bubble pipes 29. As shown in FIG. 7 the air distributingheader consists of two pipe members 21 and 28, the one inside the other,and the outer pipe member 28 being provided with the air inlet branchfor the flexible air hose 14 from the vacuum 3 cleaner 38 as well aswith several branches 2%, 23, 24 and 26 for connection with severalflexible bubble pipes 29 and 39 respectively. The inner pipe member 21is rotatable by means of control knobs 22 fitted at each end of saidpipe. The pipe is further provided with ports 27 in several planes whichalso contain branches 19, 20, 23, 2:4, 25 and 26 in such manner that byrotating the pipe 21 the air entering at 19 can be selectably deliveredthrough one or more of branches 20, 23, 24, 25 and 26 into the bubblepipes 29 and 39 respectively. In the position illustrated in FIG. 7 theair can emerge only through branches 20, 24- and 26. Instead ofcontrolling the air flow by rotation of the inner pipe 21, the lattermay be arranged to be longitudinally shiftable and thus to open or closethe several branches as may be desired. Alternatively, in lieu of theinner pipe 2 1, a plurality of rotary cocks with controls 22 may bearranged selectively to open or close the branches 20, 23 and 26,

Whereas branches 2 and 25 remain permanently open for delivering air tothe relative bubble pipes. Branch 20 is connected with an air hose 39which terminates in a rose 40 (see FIG. with a grip, which may at thesame time be fitted with a brush. Moreover, air hose 39 may be equippedwith an injector device 41 or the like, so that an air-water mixturewill emerge from the rose which can then be used for performing anefiicacious underwater massage. Since it has been found that aconventional vacuum cleaner delivers considerably more air than isrequired by the bubble device, and the motor therefore tends to run hot,the invention proposes to provide at the junction with the vacuumcleaner in the air supply pipe 14 to the distributor header 28 acoupling sleeve 36 with air vents 37 which can preferably be fully orpartly closed (see FIGS. 5 and and through which the excess air that isnot required can be allowed to escape and thus relieve the excess loadon the motor of the vacuum cleaner. Moreover, according to the inventiona relief valve is incorporated in the air hose 14 within easy reach of aperson in the bath for the purpose of allowing all or part of the air toescape before it reaches the bubbling device and of thereby throttlingback or shutting down the bubbling device in the bath 10; This reliefvalve may, as shown in FIG. 11,

be contrived in the form of a cylindrical casing 33 with openings 35which can be partly or fully closed by a rotary slide 34.

It will be readily understood that the scope of the invention permitsmany other modified forms of construction to be devised, which may beadapted to special circumstances. For instance, a single articulated rowof units 11 may be considered as being sufiicient.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for hydro-therapeutic treatment of selected portions of theusers anatomy when seated in a bath of liquid through the use of fluidpressure, comprising a plurality of substantially rigid individualplanar elements, separable articulated mechanical hinge means betweenadjacent elements, continuous passage means between the respective unitsand including hinged pipe couplings and upwardly directed outletorifices disposed below the upper surface of said elements, and controlvalve means connected to said passage means and including selectivelyadjustable control portions for directing fluid pressure to selectedportions of said passage means to treat selected portions of theanatomy.

2. The structure of claim 1, said articulated hinge means and saidhinged pipe couplings being aligned and comprising portions defining anaxis of rotation between adjacent edges of adjacent elements.

3. Apparatus for hydro-therapeutic treatment of selected portions of theusers anatomy when seated in a bath of liquid through the use of fluidpressure, comprising a plurality of substantially rigid individualplanar elements, detachable, articulated hinge means between adjacentelements, continuous passage means between the respective units andincluding upwardly directed outlet orifices disposed below the uppersurface of said elements, and control valve means connected to saidpassage means and including selectively adjustable control portions fordirecting fluid pressure to selected portions of said passage means totreat selected portions of the.

anatomy, said elements being elongated, said passage means comprisingelongated flexible pipes disposed along the longitudinal margins of saidelements, said control valve means comprising a header pipe extendingtransversely of one end of the elongated elements and communicating witheach of said flexible pipes, said control valve means and selectivelyadjustable control portions being disposed in said header pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,699,198 Millmather Jan. 15, 1929 2,319,068 Krone May 11, 19432,793,640 Schwartz May 28, 1957 2,848,203 Misiura Aug. 19, 19582,921,579 Munroe Ian. 19, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 458,411 Great BritainDec. 18, 1936 922,849 Germany Jan. 27, 1955

